


Puzzling Problems

by Crystalliced



Series: Memoirs of a Violinist [4]
Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Bananas, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Meeting the Parents, Puzzles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 11:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2308394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalliced/pseuds/Crystalliced
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler has to meet Lindsey's dad for a little chat.  </p><p>Set in the Take Flight realm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puzzling Problems

1\.  Puzzling Problems

Tyler has to meet Lindsey’s dad for a little chat.

Rating:  General

Pairing:  Tyler x Lindsey

World:  Take Flight

    “My dad wants to meet you.”  Lindsey blurts out one day.  I glance at her to make sure she’s serious before shaking my head.  “Um, no.”  I say.  Secretly, though, I can’t deny that I’m a little bit intrigued.  If Lindsey’s as quirky and dorky as she is, what is her father like?  

    The brunette pouts.  “Seriously, though, it’d be amazing!  Besides, you’re not actually allowed to say no to this.  It’s a required thing.”  I frown.  “Okay, but then you have to meet my mom for lunch.”  The girl shudders, and I don’t blame her.  I hung around for all of thirty seconds before sprinting out as my mother began chatting to Lindsey about flowers.  “Six hours.”  She groaned later, as I gently massaged her left shoulder.  “Six hours talking about daisies and roses.”  

    “Hey.  None of that.”  She wags a finger at me.  “I met your mom; now you have to meet my dad.”  

     “The thirty-minute back rub I gave you after didn’t make up for that?”  

     “A lifetime of massages would not make up for the damage done to my eardrums.”  She says flatly, and I am forced to stifle a chuckle.  

     “So out of character.”  I tease, “What happened to the pure, kind, loving Lindsey Stirling?”  She gives me a death look.  “She died along with my love for flowers.”  I shrug.  “Hey, I did warn you.”  

    “You said that she was a little talkative.  You also told me that she only wanted to talk to me for a few minutes.”  When Lindsey had made the mistake of pointing out a particularly pretty blossom on one of the nearby fruit trees, she had been sucked into a conversation that I had to eventually rescue her from a few hours later.  

    I smirk sheepishly.  “Hey, I wasn’t the one who tried to exploit flowers as a common interest to fill the awkward silence that I created right after I tripped on my own feet.”  She glares.  “You said you wouldn’t hold that against me!”  I give her the most innocent look I can.  “Just sayin’.”

     “You owe me.”  She states with finality, and I realize that I’m pushing her a little too much. “ Okay, okay.”  I relent, and she smiles.  “You’re going to have so much fun!” 

    Translation:  It’s time for revenge.

    “Do you particularly enjoy puzzles?”  Lindsey’s dad asks me.  He’s tall, fairly old (as evidenced by the white streaks amongst his brownish-blond hair) with a kind face and gray eyes.   A plain sky-blue button-down shirt and beige slacks - he could pass as a golfer with a bag slung over his shoulder.    He’s invited me into the house (after Lindsey shoved me to the doorstep) and we are now sitting in the dining room, an oak table separating us.

    His question is odd, but I’m guessing it’s a test.  One of intellect, perhaps?  Puzzles...There are a lot of different ones.  A maze?  A crossword puzzle?  That Japanese number game, Sudoku?  Random video games?  It could be anything!  Of course, the puzzles don’t even have to be physical.  Lindsey, for example, was quite the entertaining mystery to figure out, at some times infuriatingly frustrating and at others amazingly fun.  

     “You’ll have to specify.”  I finally answer after mulling it over.  “There’s a lot of variety out there and I would be here for hours if I had to talk about all of them.”  He smiles.  “Very good, very good.  As for the type of puzzle, jigsaw puzzles.”  He motions at the frames around us,  containing tasteful landscaping images.  At first I had made the assumption that they were simply pictures, but looking closer, I can see the lines indicating pieces carefully placed by a loving artist.  If that was a test, I didn’t do too well.  I should have been paying attention and, given the evidence, should have realized that he was referring to jigsaw puzzles.

     “Erm...Not particularly.”  I say.  “It’s not something I really enjoy.  It’s just not my thing.  If I was forced to, I could, but it’s too repetitive for my tastes.”  Right now, I’m cursing Lindsey out inside my head.  If the old man makes me do a puzzle...

    “Really?  You should.  It has quite the interesting history.  In 1760, the jigsaw puzzle was commercialized by...”

Lindsey, I’m going to kill you!

    XOXOXOXOXOXO

    My phone buzzes as I look through my emails.  Tyler’s texting me.

    “HELP SOS SAVE ME!!!!!”  I can’t help but giggle.  “Enjoying yourself?”  I reply, managing to rein in the laughter as I hit the Send button.  “NO.  LINDSEY HELP PLEASE!!!”  

    “Not a chance.”  My fingers dash across the keypad.  A slight pause, then:  “I'M LOSING BRAIN CELLS!!!” quickly followed by “Did you know that there are puzzles with 32,256 pieces?  BECAUSE I DO!!”  

    “It’s only been thirty minutes.  I’ll pick you up in another five and a half.”  

    “...........................”  

    “How are you even texting me, anyways?  You’re supposed to be paying attention.”  

    “Yes, his lecture is absolutely riveting.”  Reverting back to sixth-grade sarcasm.  How unlike him.  (Note sarcasm) “Also, I’m texting under the table.” 

     “Really?  He’ll catch you.”

     “I’m not even looking at my screen.  There’s no way he knows.”  

     “Then how are you texting me?”  I reply to my last email, then shut off my laptop before wandering into the kitchen with my phone to hunt for a banana.

     “A hoodie, the option for your phone to read out texts, an earbud, and memorization of the layout of my phone.  He’s yet to notice anything.”  My dad is one of the most observant people I know.  I doubt that Tyler, and his lackluster ninja skills, could sneak it past him, even if he is ranting about the importance of jigsaw puzzles to the history of the universe.  “I wouldn’t be so sure.  His eyes are as sharp as a hawk."

      "He has glasses."

      "That's besides the point!"  I peel the banana while waiting for a reply.

      “Maybe he'll decide I'm too rude and kick me out."  

     "You're supposed to be asking him for my hand in marriage."  To avoid laughing, I eat a mouthful of banana.

     "Wait, what?"  My palm meets my face. This is going to be a long day.

     "What did you think you were going to be doing?"  I finish off the fruit and stare at the leftover peel in my hand.

     "You told me that he wanted to talk to me."

     "He did!"

     "You made it sound like it was actually important!"

     "It is!  Meeting the girlfriend's parents is a huge milestone!"  My mind made up, I head to the bedroom to find a mirror.

     "I don't think that jigsaw puzzles are the primary subject in conversations like this!"

     "Pay attention so he doesn't decide we're incompatible or something!"  I stand in front of the mirror, and, after a few seconds of thought, plop the peel onto my head.

    "I can't wrap my head around the fact that half his genes are made up of you.  Is your mom hyperactive to make up for it?"

    "You're a dork."  I finally text him, then glance guiltily at my reflection.

    In response he texts me a picture of Phelba, my alternate, even quirkier persona.

     "Who's that?"  I ask, smiling before snapping a selfie of myself, complete with banana topping.  

    "Whateverrr."  He replies, then:  "Hey, did your dad make you listen to his lecture on puzzles, too?"

     "Better.  You know those pictures on the walls?  I made them myself."

     "How have you even survived?" I can imagine the sarcastic awe on his face.

     "I actually liked them."

     A pause.

     "...dork."  He finally sends, and I mail my banana selfie to him.  There's a much longer pause before he replies with:  "DORK!"  I grin.  "You know you love it."

     "It's ironic because it's a banana topping.  Get it?  TOPping."  He texts me, and I giggle.  "Lol!" 

    "Actually, I kind of wish I was the banana."  He sends, and I blink.  "Huh?"

    "It gets to touch you and cradle your head, and I don't."  I roll my eyes.

    "Flattery gets you everywhere.  Coming to pick you up."  I can imagine the cheer that this news will surely cause and smile, stashing the banana peel into the fridge before heading out.

    XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

     "I have to go soon."  I say, inconspicuously sliding my phone into my pocket after typing out a hasty "Thank you!  <3"  The father of the girl I love nods, a smirk crossing his lips.  "Just a second."  He says, motioning me to sit as I make to stand up.  I drop back into my seat.

    "Lindsey said you were either incredibly patient, obscenely dense, or trying to drive her crazy when I asked her when you two were going to get wed."  I blink in surprised shock.  "I disagree with all of those options.  You're pretty damn smart, and impressively good at multitasking, which is something you'll need."  I grin, thinking about the scarily energetic force of nature driving to pick me up.  "You managed to hold a decent conversation while texting Lindsey-"

    "Wait, you knew about that?"  I thought I had been hiding it pretty well.  "The happiness that blossomed on your face and the subtle movement of your hands led me to that conclusion."  I nod, duly impressed.  "You love Lindsey."  He states it as a fact.  "She is the light of my world."  

     "She's not too weird for you?"  I smile, remembering the selfie she sent me.  "I find her dorkiness endearing, sir."

    "Stephen."  He corrects, and that's when I know I have his blessing to marry Lindsey.  There's a knock on the front door, then Lindsey walks in, eyes immediately locking with mine.  Without meaning to, my lips quirk up into a smile.  The violinist flounces over to me and pecks me on the cheek, trading a knowing glance with her father.  "Hi, dad.  I hope you've been treating my boyfriend well.  He promised me a back rub tonight."  

    "I did not!"

    Stephen chuckles.  "I dare say that he's been enjoying himself here."  Lindsey and I exchange a guilty look.  "I just have one thing to say."

    "Tyler."  Both of us look at Stephen, hands instinctively intertwining.  "I didn't ramble on about puzzles for nothing."

    "A good jigsaw takes a lot of time, and involves a lot of frustration and hard work.  This is just like a relationship.  As time goes on, you will probably get into a lot of arguments.  Be patient with each other, even if Lindsey is insufferable sometimes."  The girl gives her father a petulant pout.  "But when you put the pieces together-"

     "-You make the most beautiful picture."  Lindsey finished.  Stephen grins.  "Precisely!  With that said, off you go.  I can not afford to take up any more of your time and Puzzle #834 awaits my attention."  I cringe.  "Bye, Tyler, Lindsey."  

    "Bye."

    "See you, dad!"

    "I would tell you to be good to my daughter, but I think there won't be any problems there.  See you at the wedding." 

    Blushing, we're pushed outside the front doors and to our car.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

    "I have a surprise for you, Tyler."  I say, holding my hands behind my back as he gives me a curious glance. "Close your eyes.  You can't peek."  He acquiesces reluctantly.

    In an instant, I reach up and plop the banana peel on top of his spiky black hair, delighting in the way it stands out.  His eyes fly open and he rips it off his head.  "Lindsey, you-"

    "I kind of wish I was the banana."  I tease, imitating his voice.  "I-"

    He jumps at me and mashes our lips together fiercely, pinning my back to the wall as I sigh happily against him.

**     I can't wait for him to meet my mom.  
**

**Author's Note:**

> Lindsey Stirling (c) Lindsey Stirling
> 
> I have no idea what her dad's name is so I just made up one. If it happens to be the correct name
> 
> Stephen Stirling (c) Stephen Stirling


End file.
